Hard Choices
by Sheryl Nantus
Summary: St. George and Scully talk over the new developments in... well, everything...


Please do not post to ATXC - IÕll do that myself...and Please Archive... grin... 

All Characters copyright of TenThirteen Productions and Chris Carter. No infringement intended on any part... go ahead, take me to court...I'm using the insanity defence... heh, heh, heh... 

Comments, complaints and just plain talk to sheryl_martin@goodmedia.com 

Summary: St. George and Scully talk over the new developments in... well, everything...Spoilers: The movie, mostly...Rating: G, Story... 

Hard Choices (1/1)by Sheryl Martin 

Dana Scully ran her finger around the rim of the wine glass, staring at the transparent liquid inside. It was her fourth drink in less than an hour but she couldn't feel it. Yet. 

The door at the other end of the bar swung open, admitting Jackie St. George. Limping along with the use of a cane held securely in her right hand, the Canadian smiled and waved across the room; slowly making her way towards their booth. 

A group of young students had chosen to inhabit the large tables in the centre of the bar; one tall and lanky young man stretching his legs out across the aisle while the rest of his companions ate chips and drank and boasted of their prowess. Stopping at the outstretched limbs, St. George smiled. 

"Excuse me..." 

The dark-haired man looked up at her from his chair and chuckled. "I guess you'll have to go around the long way, lady..." 

Scully averted her eyes, knowing what was about to happen. So did the bartender, who reached for an empty pitcher; filling it to the brim with beer as they waited. 

The sharp crack of wood on bone reverberated through the bar. 

"You know, your momma should have taught you better..." 

Dana looked up to see Jackie casually making her way through the cluster of students now gathered around their fallen comrade; rolling on the floor and clutching his shin. 

"I don't think it's broken." The woman smiled as she slid into the booth beside Scully. "Besides, he won't feel the worst of it until he sobers up." 

The bartender placed the pitcher of beer and a glass in front of the Canadian. "Jackie..." 

She held up a hand. "I know, I know... but he was going to make me walk around the long way, and I'm still crippled..." Holding up the wooden cane, she smiled sweetly. "After all, he should be nicer to his elders... and especially to handicapped old women like me..." 

Shaking his head, the man disappeared back behind the bar. 

"So..." Pouring out the first tall glass, the Canadian took a sip. "I'm waiting to hear this story... from what the boys told me, it's a whopper..." 

"Yes, well..." Taking a deep breath, Dana reached for her own glass of wine. "I guess it starts out in Texas..." 

****************** 

"So... that's it..." Dana looked up from the table, one finger drawing circles in the condensation that had come off the now-empty pitcher of beer. 

Jackie stared at her; one hand propping up her chin and her mouth - which had been hanging open for the last ten minutes. 

"That's it?" She squeaked, lifting her head. "If anyone other than you had tried to tell me this, I'd be calling the guys with the white coats..." Shaking her head, she drained the last drops of beer from her glass. "This is definitely a two-pitcher story, Dana..." 

"Well, it's pretty... incredible..." The redhead admitted. 

"Incredible? Nah..." St. George chuckled. "Just freaking-amazing that you survived. And here I thought you were just allergic to a new type of makeup..." She gestured to the small burn marks that still dotted Scully's face. 

"We're lucky we got away with only this." She ran a finger gently over the sensitive skin. "Given the condition I was in, a few frozen skin cells wasn't much to pay..." 

"Helluva way to get your job back." Jackie shook her head in disbelief. "And nothing to say of how this is going to change things. Bees, corn, viruses... makes my mind spin." 

"Tell me about it." Scully laughed softly. 

"But that's not the whole of it, is it?" The Canadian smiled. "You could have told me this over the phone - hell, everyone's got mine bugged already and yours as well. What's the problem?" 

"Well..." She started, then stopped. "It's just that..." Looking down at the wooden tabletop, the woman self-consciously ran her hands over her face, hovering on her lips. "I just..." 

Confused, St. George imitated her. "Just what? What?" 

"Mulder gave me mouth-to-mouth when we were in the Antarctic..." 

"Yah, I got that part." Jackie smirked. "Although it must be true love for a man to want to put his lips on yours after that amount of goop in them." She shuddered. "Man, there's a nightmare I don't need to add to my repertoire..." 

"But..." Another brush of fingers over her face; tracing her lips for the slightest of touches. "I didn't tell you..." 

"What?" 

Taking a deep breath, Scully put both her hands on the table. "In the hallway at Mulder's apartment; just before the bee stung me. He... I... we..." 

Jackie stared at her. "I'm really crappy at charades, Dana." 

"We... were going to..." Her face flushed red, the colour highlighting the frostbitten sections. "You know..." Her fingers ran over her lips again. 

"Whoa..." St. George sat back in her seat, her mouth open. "Whoa..." 

Dana looked down into her empty wine glass. "I mean, we weren't drunk, there wasn't any Pusher around, I knew it was the real Mulder..." She paused, looking up. "Well?" 

"Okay." The woman shrugged. "Sounds cool to me." 

"Wait a minute." Holding up her hand, Dana stared at her. "You're telling me that I'm telling you that Mulder and I almost kissed or were going to or darned well did 'cause our lips did meet and would have because of that bee and all you can say is 'Whoa'?" 

Jackie shrugged. "Dana, we're both mature women. Just because I'm pleased that you've finally seen what's been obvious to ME for the past few years doesn't mean that I won't be happy. But loud expressions of glee would be... immature..." 

Staring at her, Dana nodded. "Right..." 

Hobbling to her feet, Jackie grabbed the empty pitcher and the wine glass; manoeuvring towards the bar. "Let me get us both refills on this, and then we'll pick it up - and I have to go recycle some of the beer, anyway..." 

Scully dragged her finger along the water beading on the tabletop as she watched the Canadian place them on the bar top; instructing the bartender as she limped towards the women's washroom. 

Walking over to the booth, the bartender placed another full pitcher of beer and another glass of wine in front of the redhead. "Everything okay?" 

Opening her mouth to reply, Dana froze as she heard wild laughter and screaming coming from the direction of the women's washroom; accompanied by loud banging and shrieks of joy. 

"Yes, I think everything's okay." She ignored the questioning look as the bartender walked away, shaking his head as St. George emerged from the bathroom; casually making her way back to the booth. 

"So..." Sitting down again, she reached for the ice-cold pitcher of beer, filling her mug. "You said there was something more?" 

Staring at her for a second, Dana couldn't help but stifle a very unScully-like giggle. "Immature?" 

Jackie shrugged. "Be glad I didn't call the boys and have it on the net already." 

Rolling her eyes upwards, the redhead took another sip of wine. "Okay. Whatever. But what I'm struggling with right now is..." Her hand left the stem of the glass; fingernails rapping atop the wood. "I mean, I don't know what to do." 

One eyebrow rose. "Dana, tell me it hasn't been THAT long..." 

A scowl in response. "You know damn well what I'm talking about." Letting out her breath slowly, Scully shook her head. "I can't deal with this. I mean, alien viruses and kidnapping and bee colonies are one thing... this, this is totally foreign to me..." 

St. George stared at her. "I wish I had that on tape." 

Scully scowled at her again. "You know what I mean... you know that this means everything changes. Everything is NOT the same as it was before. And I don't know what to do." Her voice dropped, losing the strength. "I don't know what I want." 

"Sure you do." The Canadian refilled her mug. "You've known it for years. Now you just need to decide what to do about it." 

Looking up at her with a weary expression, the redhead nodded. "I guess so. But what would you say if I told you that this scared me more than anything I've seen or done or experienced in the past five years?" 

"I'd agree." 

An eyebrow rose slowly as she waited. "So what do I do?" 

"You're asking me?" Jackie chuckled. "Like I'm suddenly the expert on this?" 

"Jackie..." The low growl. "I'm asking for your advice..." 

The woman nodded. "Listen, then. Someone once said that dying was easy, comedy is hard. He had it right, but not totally..." 

Taking a deep swallow of beer, she continued. "Living is easy. Dying is easy. But loving... that's the hard part of this entire thing called life. Anyone can live, anyone can die - but hell, love is the hardest thing to deal with..." Smacking her lips, she chuckled. "And it's a choice you have to make, just like living and dying - but with a helluva better bonus if you work on it." She winked slyly. "And the benefits are definitely worth it, right?" 

Sitting back, Dana chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Is this some sort of Dragon Zen here?" 

Jackie smirked. "Nope - read it in the bathroom. Right on the wall below 'Call Kung Fu Melvin for a Good Time'..." 

"So what do I do?" 

"Well, I've never pictured you as a quitter. Or Mulder, for that matter..." Looking across the room, St. George smiled as she awkwardly got to her feet. "And I figure the two of you are definitely up to a challenge..." 

Scully's breath caught in her throat as she spied Mulder making his way through the crowd towards them. 

"I'm outta here..." With a nod and a chuckle the Canadian limped towards the oncoming agent. Turning back towards Scully, she nodded; giving her a thumbs-up sign. 

"St. George!" Wrapping his arms around her in a strong hug, Mulder smiled. "You're leaving?" 

She nodded. "Got some work to do. And the Wook's going to be back from his doctor's appointment in a few hours and I want to be there to meet him, of course..." 

"Of course..." His eyes wandered up over her shoulder and onto the woman sitting at the table. "Well, if you can't stay..." 

Jackie laughed. "I think not... But Mulder?" 

His attention turned back towards her for a brief second. 

"Welcome to the best part of living..." With a shake of her head to Scully, the Canadian limped towards the door; watching the respectful crowd part before her quickly. 

"Scully..." Sliding into the seat beside her, Mulder smiled. 

"Mulder..." She responded, her throat suddenly dry. "Are you up to a challenge?" 

************************ 

the end... 

;-) 


End file.
